The Indian Fighter ***½ (1955, Kirk Douglas, Elsa Martinelli, Walter Matthau, Diana Douglas, Lon Chaney Jnr, Alan Hale Jnr, Elisha Cook Jnr) – Classic Movie Review 3401

Director André de Toth’s upper middle-of-the-range 1955 Western provides a good star role for Kirk Douglas, who plays The Indian Fighter conducting the wagon train across hostile Sioux land when he gets involved with a Sioux chief’s daughter. The film is ‘introducing Elsa Martinelli as Ohnati, daughter of a Sioux warrior, beloved of The Indian Fighter’.

Frank Davis and Ben Hecht’s screenplay puts new life into what seems like an old, very familiar story, ensuring that there are both enough action and humour in the mix.

The cast is in apple-pie order, with Douglas a fine hero and Walter Matthau an excellent villain, with Elsa Martinelli and the star’s former wife Diana Douglas as the main women involved, three famous juniors (Lon Chaney Jnr, Alan Hale Jnr and Elisha Cook Jnr), as well as a superb roll call of old-style Western character actors giving the most dependable of support.

Faces to relish include Walter Abel as Captain Trask, Eduard Franz as the Sioux chief Red Cloud, Lane Chandler, Hank Worden, Frank Cady, Ray Teal, Buzz Henry, William Phipps, Harry Landers and Michael Winkelman.

The Franz Waxman score and Wilfrid M Cline’s beautifully filmed Oregon scenery in colour and widescreen are further advantages.

It was Douglas’s first film as producer – for his own company, Byrna.

‘Icon of style and elegance’ Elsa Martinelli was born on January 30 1935 in Grosseto, Tuscany, as Elsa Tia. She started out as a model, began her career as a model, appearing in Vogue and on the cover of Life magazine, and appeared in a couple of minor roles in European films before this ‘introducing Elsa Martinelli’ credit.

Kirk Douglas, who owned a fashion house, spotted her on the Life cover and offered her a film contract, though The Indian Fighter was the only result and her contract was quietly annulled.

She died on 8 July 2017 in Rome at the age of 82.

Diana Douglas died on July 3 2015, aged 92. She was married to Kirk Douglas (1943-51) and was the mother of Michael Douglas.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3401

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/